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Canada urged to better its human rights record

Responding to criticism over deaths of people who have been Tasered by police, the federal government has promised the United Nations Human Rights Council to &#34;find an effective way to engage civil society&#34; in the review process on the weapons.

Responding to criticism over deaths of people who have been Tasered by police, the federal government has promised the United Nations Human Rights Council to "find an effective way to engage civil society" in the review process on the weapons.

It's not clear how such public involvement would be carried out. The pledge was contained in a first-ever review of Canada's record on human rights, released yesterday in draft form by a working group of the Geneva-based organization.

There is no legal force to recommendations by the UN body – nor to promises by diplomats. However, rights activists count on the "name and shame" publicity aspect of the newly implemented reviews by the 47-nation council.

It's the first time nations are reviewed on their record by their peers. That means nations can be criticized by states whose own political leaders have shown disdain for human rights.

Canada, for example, took a pounding from Iran – assailed by international human rights groups for rights abuses – on several fronts, including treatment of "aboriginal women, migrants, Muslim, Arabs and Afro-Canadians."

Still, much of the review consists of material provided in submissions to the working group by human rights and civil society organizations in Canada who present written reports for study by member nations. They largely focused on treatment of aboriginal people that was termed "shameful," from high suicide rates to missing and murdered women.

Canadian responses were usually general, with the specific promise on Tasers being an exception. Among several countries to voice concern about the deaths of people who have been Tasered by police, Italy recommended Ottawa "prescribe more rigorous procedures for their possession and use."

A Canadian official told the working group the use of Tasers is being widely studied in Canada and "a number of police forces and governments" are examining them. The official further promised public engagement in the follow-up to ongoing review in Canada.

The Canadian delegation was headed by John Sims, deputy minister for Justice Canada, and included diplomats and officials from Indian and Northern Affairs and Foreign Affairs, among other departments.

According to Amnesty International, 25 people have died after being Tasered in Canada.

In B.C., an inquiry is investigating the death of Robert Dziekanski, after he was shot with a Taser by the RCMP at the Vancouver airport in October 2007. The first part of the inquiry last year examined the use of Tasers by B.C. police.

Many countries among the 47 member states talked about extreme poverty among aboriginal people and the failure of the government to live up to treaty obligations. As a result, several recommendations urged Canada to make changes in that area.

One recommendation calls for Canada to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a statement supported in draft form by the former Liberal government. It passed in 2007, with only Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States in opposition.

Norway expressed concerns about "the scale and character of violence against indigenous women" and advised the implementation of a national strategy in Canada to "respond to the severity of those issues."

The United Kingdom said Canada should "give the highest priority to addressing these fundamental inequalities" between aboriginal people and other Canadians by, among others measures, settling land claims.

In the draft report, Canada acknowledged "wrongs in the past" on aboriginal issues. "While the challenges are significant, there is progress on many fronts, including education, entrepreneurship, economic development, land claims and safe drinking water."

Submissions were not limited to criticism. Most nations included some form of praise for Canada, whether it was Ukraine noting the promotion of gender equality, or Jordan praising participation in the rights council itself.

Some nations expressed nostalgia for policies of Canada's former Liberal government, bemoaning recent shifts under the Conservatives.

The working group yesterday published about 70 recommendations – some suggesting Canada merely "consider" an action. The government's response will be included in a future report.

Canada faces another review in four years.

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